The State Of Text Messaging In 2008

Text messaging has existed since the early 1990's. Though its use spread slowly and was limited mostly to those working in technical fields, it has exploded in popularity. Despite its slow beginning, it has since been adopted as an important way to communicate with friends, family and business associates. While early text messages were primitive and sparse, the texting landscape has changed dramatically. Today, people around the world use text messages to quickly connect with others.

A Surge In Popularity

The ability to keep in touch with people through text messages was embraced by young people. While texting has been available for years, it was the younger generation that largely spearheaded its swell of popularity. Once thought a novelty, billions of text messages are now sent each year. It continues to be one of the primary ways kids "talk" with one another. Today, kids' use of text messaging has expanded as popular shows such as "American Idol" solicit texting.

Text Messaging Today

While young people were largely responsible for ushering the use of text messaging into our culture, it's now being widely-used throughout the business and political arenas. Business associates, vendors, political pundits and journalists are armed with handheld devices with QWERTY keyboards that allow them to do their jobs from any location.

Manufacturers of PDAs and mobile gadgets have rushed to create devices that allow quick typing of messages. Though the Apple iPhone attracted the most attention and is a favorite amongst the technical elite, other mobile tools such as the LG Voyager, LG enV and Blackberry come with standard QWERTY keyboards. Other companies have launched products such as the Samsung SCH-i760, AT&T Tilt and the Nokia E62 to take advantage of the texting trend.

As our schedules become busier and the struggle to find time for our business and personal lives grows more fierce, texting will continue to offer a way to manage that time. Society is becoming more familiar and increasingly comfortable with sending text messages. While texting has grown to unprecedented heights, it has yet to reach its zenith.

Free Text Messaging In 2008

Text messaging has proven to be a killer app for the phone carriers. Text messaging plans, typically between $5 and $10, may offer unlimited text messaging these days. However, without a text messaging plan text messages may cost up to 25 cents to send or receive. More and more web based startups are offering free text messaging from the web. Free text messaging from the web was pioneered by companis such as Teleflip and TxtDrop and these companies are still going strong in 2008.